Film Review #144: LONG ARM OF THE LAW (HKFGP)
Long Arm of the Law Movie Review for HKFGP
Voted as No.6 in the Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures (No.6) by Hong Kong Film Awards, Long Arm of the Law (1984) is one of the most important films in Hong Kong Cinema. It was the acclaimed producer Johnny Mak’s directorial debut – and the only movie he ever directed.
Set in Hong Kong during the early 1980s, the plot revolves around Tung (Lam Wai), a former member of People Liberation’s Army, turned Hong Kong’s most wanted criminal. Planning to work on his last heist before retirement, he enlists the help of his fellow comrades in Guangzhou with the promise of a better livelihood for everyone involved. Things take an unexpected turn when the heist doesn’t go according to plan, and the gang is placed in increasingly risky complications with the triad and police.
As a producer in the former Rediffusion Television (previously Asia TV) and Commercial Television before moving into movies , Director Johnny Mak specialised in exploring social issues while his films remained entertaining.
Long Arm of the Law was inspired by an actual bank robbery, a mark of how Johnny Mak wanted to bring realism closer to the audience. Besides casting up-and-coming actors such as Lam Wai and Sum Wai, talent with real-life triad backgrounds were cast in this film. Several scenes were not rehearsed in advance, but were improvised to capture their more authentic reactions.
Long Arm of the Law also seeks to explore how a Mainlander Chinese in the Bamboo Curtain era desperately desired better opportunities in the colonial-ruled Hong Kong even if it comes at the cost of losing their lives. While it seems to be unthinkable in today’s context, it does make us ponder how remnants of that dynamic and struggle still exist today, all over the world.
The action sequences also serve as a strong selling point in the film. Choreographed by the legend Sammo Hung’s stunt team (Sammo Hung is also the producer of Long Arm of the Law), the action sequences were mainly set in well-known landmarks such as the busy street of Tsim Sha Tsui – for its car chasing and cross-fire scene – and Taikoo Palace – with the biggest ice skating rink which serves the purpose for an important scene –, with the climax at the former Kowloon Walled-City, making this film immensely important as a documentation of the livelihood of the infamous landmark plagued with crimes and vice before demolition in 1993 for urban development.
A box office success with 3 sequels produced by Johnny Mak, Long Arm of the Law is one of the few classics that can withstand the test of time, and will continue to do so for decades to come.
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About the author: Ding Tai Wei works in HR in the film and entertainment industry and has been a proud Singapore Film Society volunteer since 2016. He’s a big fan of Asian cinema, indie favorites, and contemporary classics. He loves the nostalgic vibes of old-school theaters that bring back the magic of classic movie nights.
Long
Long Arm of the Law will have be screening on 23 Nov, Saturday 4.10pm at Golden Village Suntec City,
as part of the
Hong Kong Film Gala Presentation 2024 in Singapore.
Get your tickets at: https://www.gv.com.sg/GVMovieDetails?movie=2247#/movie/2247/cinema/null
Visit https://www.singaporefilmsociety.com/hkfgp2024 for more info.
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